About Us

La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club offers a rich tradition of more than 80 years of bringing families, friends, tennis pros and enthusiasts, and beach lovers together in a breathtaking oceanfront setting. In a world of fleeting trends, this landmark resort stands as a testament to timeless elegance and grace.

The resort has been recognized by leading organizations and publications throughout the years, earning numerous awards throughout its lifespan. It was named Club of the Year in 2011, by the San Diego District Tennis Association, among America’s Top 50 Tennis Resorts by Tennis Magazine, a Gold Medal Resort by TennisResortsOnline and Best Recreation Club by the California Restaurants Association, San Diego Chapter. It has also been awarded the Family-Owned & Closely-Held Business Award by the San Diego Business Journal, as well as the Workplace Excellence Award by Peter Barron Stark Companies.

Originally opened in 1927 as the La Jolla Beach & Yacht Club, Frederick William Kellogg (known as F.W. Kellogg) purchased the property on August 19, 1935, transferring all of its assets to himself and his wife, Florence Scripps Kellogg. Recognizing the Club's potential, F.W. Kellogg envisioned an oceanfront resort that would attract out-of-town visitors, as well as La Jollans.

Kellogg broadened the Club’s appeal by changing the emphasis to that of an exclusive oceanfront tennis resort. He built four tennis courts and a swimming pool, and promptly renamed the resort the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club. To attract out-of-town guests, he constructed the “Beach Club Apartments” at the south end of the property.

Kellogg continued to expand the property, building a cofferdam to protect oceanfront apartments during construction. The dam later became the foundation for the Marine Room, an oceanfront restaurant and lounge just south of the Club.

Kellogg never lived to see the opening of the Marine Room; he died on September 4, 1940, while on a trans-Pacific cruise to Japan. The responsibility for managing the Club fell to his son William Scripps Kellogg (known as W.S. Kellogg).

W.S. Kellogg was the driving force behind the resort’s success as a tennis and vacation destination. During his tenure, he oversaw extensive changes, including the expansion of the Beach Club Apartments in 1948, the addition of the North Wing in 1957, and construction of Playa Del Oro Apartments and the F.W. Kellogg commercial building. Other work included the completion of the Marine Room restaurant, construction of a nine-hole par-3 golf course, and extensive landscaping at the main entrance.

Up until the early 1980s, W.S. Kellogg was still a familiar sight at the Club, taking children for rides on the beach in a 1915 Packard, known as the “Old Black Goose". Children who rode in the convertible became members of the Old Black Goose Club, swearing an oath to never become litterbugs. With W.S. Kellogg’s grandson now behind the wheel, children today still keep faithful the oath, patrolling the grounds to pick up litter.

In 1973, W.S. Kellogg retired after 34 years, and his son, William Crowe Kellogg assumed management. Under his leadership, two more tennis courts were added and an extensive renovation of the facility was started.

Today, operation of the Club, Marine Room Restaurant and the neighboring La Jolla Shores Hotel and Shores Restaurant is in the capable hands of a fourth generation Kellogg family member; William (Bill) J. Kellogg. The fact that the Club has remained a family heirloom, prized and protected by successive generations, is a source of inspiration and pride to the Kellogg family.

The Club maintains its close ties with the surrounding community, working closely to help foster a welcoming environment for its guests, employees and those who call La Jolla home. Throughout its history it has stood as an iconic symbol of what makes La Jolla special and memorable.